EJIKE OKOYE: Take chances professionally

Ejike Okoye is a Nollywood actor whose passion for the sector is unequivocal. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, he talks about how he started with stage plays in the church, his humble beginnings and more.

OW was life before going into acting?

I am from Amawbia in Awka South local government area but was born and brought up in Enugu. I am married with three wonderful kids. I graduated from Enugu State University of Science and Technology in year 2000. My discipline was marketing. Besides that, I have done many other things in life; I was a newspaper vendor during my junior secondary school days. I worked for Nigerian Tobacco Company for a period of time right after my secondary school. I had a commercial bus when I first got into the university which I drove commercially for two years after lecture hours. After my second year in the university, I employed a driver. I have really been through a lot in life, though sometimes bumpy and rocky I remained focused. I worked at D.N Obiekwe and Sons of Nig. Limited (NTC Distributor). I also did part-time job at LIMCA Bottling Company. I have been independent for the most part of my life. I thank my parents for training me that way. I actually enjoyed those days that I worked.

What inspired you to go into acting?

I did too many stage plays in my church when I was a kid (my elementary school days). Fact remains that stage acting is harder than film making. In stage, one has to be at least 95% accurate because people are watching you live while in movie making one can always cut and do it over until it’s good; also editing helps in film making. Other kids looked up to me, they wanted to be like me and I encouraged them to be part of the stage play but most of them shied away. When I played the role of Samuel in church, it attracted a lot of commendations. People where amazed at my performance. I believe that’s what led me into acting when I became an adult.

Unfortunately, most Nollywood actors don’t live up to expectation. It shouldn’t be so. One has done more than 80 movies, but cannot afford a good and adequate standard of living; cannot afford a decent retirement when you have a need (not want) of one million naira. You cannot afford it to be able to take care of your need, yet you have featured in over 80 movies. When you have an ailment that requires one million dollars or more you turn to a beggar. Adequate health insurance is out of the question because most of us can’t afford it. It’s absolutely crazy.

Would you say that the profession is lucrative?

Nollywood is one of the highest employers of labour in Nigeria. It has too many departments. It’s just not acting; we have crew members which consist of the following: camera crew, directors, set designers, location managers, costumers, production assistants and a whole lot more. If you don’t fit into acting, you can look into other various sectors in Nollywood that may work for you. In my own view, it’s a lucrative business. However, there are some aspects of Nollywood in Nigeria today that are somewhat disturbing. We roll out all these movies every week. The actors don’t feel it in their pockets except for very few popular faces. One thing I believe in is that when one labours, one gets rewarded regardless of your status. Most upcoming artists don’t know if they agreed to do a particular movie for free or producers taking advantage of them because they are trying to break into the industry. I will say it’s highly discouraging. This guys put in their time, their money (transportation cost) and their costumes. They deserve to be paid unless otherwise agreed prior to shooting.

Let’s talk about some of the memorable moments on the job

I have good and bad memorable moments in the industry. I have had uncountable good memories since I joined the industry. I can recall when we shot the movie “Odum” produced by Amaco Productions in Oguta, Imo State. That was my first time of going to Oguta Lake. While we were on boat going to location, we passed where Ulasi River and Oguta Lake met, but can’t mix together. It appeared as if there was a thin line dividing the two waters. I learnt about Oguta Lake in elementary and secondary school. Seeing it was something I don’t think I will ever forget.

I had the worst day of my life when we shot the movie “Slaves” produced and directed by Chico Ejiro in Ezillo town in Abakiliki. One of my best friends, Emeka Ugo, whom I introduced to the movie industry, lost his life in the process though he was on set when the incident happened. He was actually drowned in Ezillo River. Watching somebody drown, especially somebody close to you and you couldn’t do anything to save the situation, can be truly devastating. It was really a bad day for me.

What are the principles that you hold on to in life?

I am proactive as opposed to reactive. I believe that respect is earned. I give respect to whom respect is due. I treat people like I want to be treated. Above all, I trust and believe in God whose guiding principles I follow.

My parents taught me to be focused, empower people to succeed, to always be inclusive and to be outcome-oriented in achieving results consistent with my set goals.

What are the other things that occupy your time?

I am a firm believer that family comes first no matter what. I always make out time for my family. Besides Nollywood, I do other business which is mainly importation of goods, mostly motor vehicles.

In Nollywood, you get to learn different cultures. You get to know and interact with people of different cultures, tribes and background whereby we learn a lot from each other. Film making is a make-believe business. When you play certain roles in movies, you get to know and experience a particular life style. You are portraying a character, for instance, when playing the role of a CEO of a company, a criminal, native doctor and so on. If you are locked up in a cell or put on handcuffs in a movie, you get to know how it feels to be locked up in real life.

What are some of the changes that you would like to see in the sector?

I will like to see more government involvement in Nollywood and not only for political reasons. Film making promotes a nation’s culture. It boosts the economy of a nation because many people are engaged in film making business in Nigeria. When people make money, they tend to spend money. The money we make evidently goes back to the economy. I want to see big companies investing in film making. We have the potential in Nigeria. We have talented people without big investors. Some of these talents are never going to be explored. With government support, I guarantee you that we would be competing with the western world in terms of product quality. Our government has the key to curb piracy which takes toll on our pockets. They are not doing enough in that aspect.

I don’t know what the censors’ board is doing. A cut of content are released today without being rated. That’s another sector I will like to see the government step in. Families can’t watch Nollywood movies with children because there’s a lot of contents in our movies and you may not know because it’s not rated, and it is not stated on the packet that “this movie contains sexual scenes and or profanity”. Even our comedy movies. Don’t get me wrong; there’s nothing absolutely wrong with sexual scenes or profanities in our movie, but the censors’ board has to let people know by making it clear on the movie packets or posters. In that case, parents may not allow their kids to watch movies that have sexual contents and or profanities.

What are some of the challenges encountered and how do you cope with them?

I have had several challenges in the industry just like every other person in other sectors. People face challenges every now and then, but how they tackle the challenge is what matters. When a rocky road gets rockier, one should take a step forward. I am a proactive person.

I don’t easily give up to challenges. I love challenges. It helps me to improve at any given time. Whenever I start something, I must try to finish it by the grace of God. Thank God for being my source of inspiration.

Who or what do you consider as the greatest influence in your life?

I look up to God in everything I do. My late parents were the greatest influence because they raised me in the right direction. They taught me how to be independent. My lovely wife has been a great influence in my life as well. I call her prayer warrior because whenever she prays, I feel the presence of God. My wife, Ify Okoye, is a typical example when they say ‘women build homes’; I give her that credit.

If you had to advise young people, what would you tell them?

I have been protected, I have been directed, I have failed big, you only live once so do what you are passionate about. Take chances professionally or rather positively. Don’t be afraid to fail. There is an old IQ test [that] was nine dots and you had to draw five lines with the pencil within the nine dots without lifting the pencil.

The only way to do it was to go outside the box. So don’t be afraid to go outside the box. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Don’t be afraid to fail big, to dream big, but remember, dreams, without goals, are just dreams. And they ultimately fuel disappointment.